Word
written
Phoneticswrit·ten, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈɹɪtən/
UK/ɹˈɪtən/
Definitions
01past participle of write
A1 · Beginner
v. the form of 'write' used after 'have' or 'be'.
v. the past participle of the irregular verb 'write', used to form the present perfect, past perfect, and passive voice.
“She has written several books about her travels in Asia.”
“By the time the editor arrived, the journalist had already written the lead story and was beginning the final draft of the editorial.”
Pitfall
I have wrote three letters today.
I have written three letters today.
Use 'written' (past participle) with 'have', not 'wrote' (past simple).
02in the form of text
A2 · Elementary
adj. expressed in writing rather than spoken.
adj. existing in a physical or digital textual format; often contrasted with oral or verbal communication.
“The teacher asked for a written excuse for his absence.”
“The contract requires a written notice of termination at least thirty days prior to the end of the fiscal year.”
Synonyms
03formal/legal rules
B2 · Upper Intermediate Law Formal
adj. official rules or laws that are recorded in a document.
adj. formally documented or codified, especially in a legal or institutional context.
“The company has a written policy against using phones during meetings.”
“The judge noted that while the agreement was understood by both parties, it lacked the weight of a written statute.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “written” in context.
Verb
01. get written
“I need to make sure this essay gets written by Friday.”
verb + verb
02. keep written
“You should keep written records of all your business expenses.”
verb + verb
03. written by
“This best-selling novel was written by a local author.”
verb + prep
04. written in
“The ancient manuscript was written in Latin.”
verb + prep
Adjective
05. badly written
“The movie was ruined by a badly written script.”
adv + verb
06. clearly written
“The instructions are clearly written and easy to follow.”
adv + verb
07. formally written
“The report must be formally written for the board of directors.”
adv + verb
Noun
08. written agreement
“The two companies finally signed a formal written agreement.”
verb + noun
09. written evidence
“The police have no written evidence to support the claim.”
verb + noun
10. give a written apology
“The student was asked to give a written apology for his behavior.”
11. require written confirmation
“The bank will require written confirmation before closing the account.”
12. written in plain english
“The legal contract was surprisingly written in plain English.”
Real-World Examples
“Earlier this year he’d refused to publish several articles that had clearly been written by AI.” “But on Tuesday a little-known group called Balance ton Claude (Denounce your Claude, in reference to Anthropic's AI assistant) claimed the book was "almost totally" written by AI - a charge the author denied.” Etymology
Morphologically write + -en.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Very common
- Level
- B1 · IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/written